This invention relates generally to the navigation of a moving vehicle. In particular, this invention relates to a method and system for detecting and correcting off route navigation.
As wireless communication continues to evolve, state of the art systems and technology continues to also increase in usefulness and effectiveness. Expectation of technology is also increasing and there is a growing need to develop applications, equipment and methods to drive this effectiveness even higher, while lowering cost. Costs are lowered primarily through building more capacity and functionality in existing technology or through designing systems or methods that require less processing time and increases data accuracy and transmission volume.
Many of these new developments in functionality are a result of advances in software development via complex algorithms based on established methods known in the art. In this inventions several key concepts are used to address a typical navigation challenge, which is a vehicle detouring off of a planned route.
It would be desirable therefore to provide a method for detecting and correcting off-route navigation to provide more effective navigation instructions to a moving vehicle that overcomes the above.
One aspect of the present invention provides a method of generating more effective navigation instructions for a vehicle that has traveled off of a planned route. A plurality of nodes located on road segments is provided, a plurality of pre-established checkpoints at intersections is generated and a signal including location coordinates identifying a vehicles current position is received. A vehicle""s coordinates are compared to checkpoints coordinates, a proximity ellipse is constructed in response to the comparison of a vehicle""s location coordinates to the coordinates of the checkpoints and determination is made if at least one return path cycle exist within a proximity ellipse.
Another aspect of the system provides a computer usable medium including a program for generating more effective navigation instructions for a vehicle that has traveled off of a planned route. The program may include computer readable program code that provides a plurality of nodes located on road segments, generates a plurality of pre-established checkpoints at intersections and receives a signal including location coordinates identifying a vehicle""s current position. The program may also include computer readable program code that compares a vehicle""s coordinates to coordinates of checkpoints, constructs a proximity ellipse in response to the comparison of the vehicle""s location coordinates to the coordinates of the checkpoints and identifies at least one return path cycle within the proximity ellipse.
Another aspect of the present invention provides a system for generating more effective navigation instructions for a vehicle that has traveled off of a planned route. The system may include means for providing a plurality of nodes located on road segments, means for generating a plurality of pre-established checkpoints at intersections and means for receiving a signal including location coordinates identifying a vehicle""s current position. It may also include means for comparing the vehicle""s coordinates to coordinates of checkpoints, means for constructing a proximity ellipse in response to the comparison of the vehicle""s location coordinates to the coordinates of the checkpoints and means for identifying at least one return path cycle within the proximity ellipse.
The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention will become further apparent from the following detailed description of the presently preferred embodiments, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The detailed description and drawings are merely illustrative of the invention rather than limiting, the scope of the invention being defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.